diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a6e1fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+[build]
+# https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/evaluating-pipelined-rustc-compilation/10199/12
+pipelining = true
+
+[target.aarch64-vesper-metta]
+rustflags = [
+  "-C", "target-feature=-fp-armv8",
+  "-C", "target-cpu=cortex-a53",
+  "-C", "embed-bitcode=yes",
+]
+
+[unstable]
+build-std = ["core", "compiler_builtins", "alloc"]
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4bfa550..7c0ef8c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 .idea/
 *.iml
 target/
+kernel8*
+.gdb_history
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index af43cfc..e89c0f1 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
 # This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
 # It is not intended for manual editing.
+[[package]]
+name = "r0"
+version = "0.2.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rlibc"
+version = "1.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "vesper"
 version = "0.0.1"
+dependencies = [
+ "r0 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "rlibc 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
 
+[metadata]
+"checksum r0 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "e2a38df5b15c8d5c7e8654189744d8e396bddc18ad48041a500ce52d6948941f"
+"checksum rlibc 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "fc874b127765f014d792f16763a81245ab80500e2ad921ed4ee9e82481ee08fe"
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index a560f8b..06476c6 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ qemu:
     @echo No QEMU support
 
 device:
-    cargo build
+    cargo make sdcard
diff --git a/Makefile.toml b/Makefile.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b881152
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BlueOak-1.0.0
+#
+# Copyright (c) Berkus Decker <berkus+github@metta.systems>
+#
+[config]
+min_version = "0.24.0"
+default_to_workspace = true
+
+[env]
+CARGO_MAKE_EXTEND_WORKSPACE_MAKEFILE = "false"
+
+DEFAULT_TARGET = "aarch64-vesper-metta"
+
+DEVICE_FEATURES = "noserial"
+
+OBJCOPY = "cargo objcopy"
+OBJCOPY_PARAMS = "-- --strip-all -O binary"
+
+UTILS_CONTAINER = "andrerichter/raspi3-utils"
+DOCKER_CMD = "docker run -it --rm -v ${PWD}:/work -w /work -p 5900:5900"
+
+TARGET_JSON = "${CARGO_MAKE_WORKSPACE_WORKING_DIRECTORY}/targets/${DEFAULT_TARGET}.json"
+
+KERNEL_ELF = "${CARGO_MAKE_WORKSPACE_WORKING_DIRECTORY}/kernel8"
+KERNEL_BIN = "${CARGO_MAKE_WORKSPACE_WORKING_DIRECTORY}/kernel8.img"
+
+[tasks.default]
+alias = "all"
+
+[tasks.modules]
+command = "cargo"
+args = ["modules", "tree"]
+
+[tasks.all]
+dependencies = ["kernel-binary"]
+
+[tasks.kernel-binary] # Forward build to vesper/Makefile.toml
+env = { "CARGO_MAKE_MEMBER_TASK" = "kernel-binary" }
+run_task = "do-on-members"
+
+[tasks.build] # Forward build to vesper/Makefile.toml
+env = { "CARGO_MAKE_MEMBER_TASK" = "build" }
+run_task = "do-on-members"
+
+[tasks.sdcard]
+env = { "CARGO_MAKE_MEMBER_TASK" = "sdcard" }
+run_task = "do-on-members"
+
+[tasks.sdeject]
+env = { "CARGO_MAKE_MEMBER_TASK" = "sdeject" }
+run_task = "do-on-members"
diff --git a/linker/aarch64.ld b/linker/aarch64.ld
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..923ee1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linker/aarch64.ld
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR BlueOak-1.0.0
+ * Copyright (c) 2018 Andre Richter <andre.o.richter@gmail.com>
+ * Original code distributed under MIT, additional changes are under BlueOak-1.0.0
+ */
+
+ENTRY(_boot_cores);
+
+/* Symbols between __boot_start and __boot_end should be dropped after init is complete.
+   Symbols between __ro_start and __ro_end are the kernel code.
+   Symbols between __bss_start and __bss_end must be initialized to zero by r0 code in kernel.
+*/
+SECTIONS
+{
+    . = 0x80000; /* AArch64 boot address is 0x80000, 4K-aligned */
+    __boot_start = .;
+    .text :
+    {
+        KEEP(*(.text.boot))
+        . = ALIGN(4096);
+        KEEP(*(.data.boot))
+        . = ALIGN(4096); /* Here boot code ends */
+        __boot_end = .; // __boot_end must be 4KiB aligned
+        __ro_start = .;
+        *(.text .text.*)
+    }
+
+    .vectors ALIGN(2048):
+    {
+        *(.vectors)
+    }
+
+    .rodata ALIGN(4):
+    {
+        *(.rodata .rodata.*)
+        FILL(0x00)
+    }
+    . = ALIGN(4096); /* Fill up to 4KiB */
+    __ro_end = .; /* __ro_end must be 4KiB aligned */
+    __data_start = .; /* __data_start must be 4KiB aligned */
+
+    .data : /* @todo align data to 4K -- it's already aligned up to __ro_end marker now */
+    {
+        *(.data .data.*)
+        FILL(0x00)
+    }
+
+    /* @todo could insert .data.boot here with proper alignment */
+
+    .bss ALIGN(8):
+    {
+        __bss_start = .;
+        *(.bss .bss.*)
+        *(COMMON)
+        . = ALIGN(4096); /* Align up to 4KiB */
+        __bss_end = .;
+    }
+
+    /DISCARD/ : { *(.comment) *(.gnu*) *(.note*) *(.eh_frame*) }
+}
+
+PROVIDE(current_el0_synchronous   = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_el0_irq           = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_el0_fiq           = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_el0_serror        = default_exception_handler);
+
+PROVIDE(current_elx_synchronous   = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_elx_irq           = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_elx_fiq           = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(current_elx_serror        = default_exception_handler);
+
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch64_synchronous = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch64_irq         = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch64_fiq         = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch64_serror      = default_exception_handler);
+
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch32_synchronous = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch32_irq         = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch32_fiq         = default_exception_handler);
+PROVIDE(lower_aarch32_serror      = default_exception_handler);
diff --git a/nucleus/Cargo.toml b/nucleus/Cargo.toml
index e048a41..9caf908 100644
--- a/nucleus/Cargo.toml
+++ b/nucleus/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,3 +16,5 @@ edition = "2018"
 maintenance = { status = "experimental" }
 
 [dependencies]
+r0 = "0.2"
+rlibc = "1.0"
diff --git a/nucleus/Makefile.toml b/nucleus/Makefile.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e59109e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nucleus/Makefile.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BlueOak-1.0.0
+#
+# Copyright (c) Berkus Decker <berkus+github@metta.systems>
+#
+[tasks.kernel-binary]
+script = [
+    "cp ${CARGO_MAKE_WORKSPACE_WORKING_DIRECTORY}/target/${DEFAULT_TARGET}/release/vesper ${KERNEL_ELF}",
+    "${OBJCOPY} ${OBJCOPY_PARAMS} ${CARGO_MAKE_WORKSPACE_WORKING_DIRECTORY}/target/${DEFAULT_TARGET}/release/vesper ${KERNEL_BIN}"
+]
+
+[tasks.build]
+env = { "TARGET_FEATURES" = "" }
+args = ["build", "-Zbuild-std=core,compiler_builtins,alloc", "--target=${TARGET_JSON}", "--release", "--features=${TARGET_FEATURES}"]
+
+[tasks.sdcard]
+dependencies = ["build", "kernel-binary"]
+command = "cp"
+args = ["${KERNEL_BIN}", "/Volumes/BOOT/"]
+
+[tasks.sdeject]
+dependencies = ["sdcard"]
+command = "diskutil"
+args = ["unmount", "/Volumes/BOOT/"]
diff --git a/nucleus/src/main.rs b/nucleus/src/main.rs
index e7a11a9..f964b35 100644
--- a/nucleus/src/main.rs
+++ b/nucleus/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
-fn main() {
-    println!("Hello, world!");
+#![no_std]
+#![no_main]
+
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn _boot_cores() -> ! {
+    loop {}
+}
+
+#[panic_handler]
+fn panicked(_info: &core::panic::PanicInfo) -> ! {
+    loop {}
 }
diff --git a/targets/README.md b/targets/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c97e63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/targets/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# vesper-targets
+
+These are [target
+specifications](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/blob/master/text/0131-target-specification.md)
+suitable for cross-compiling Rust crates for Vesper.
+
+They are very much based on Robigalia's [sel4-targets](https://gitlab.com/robigalia/sel4-targets).
+
+## Status
+
+Complete for aarch64. Untested for anything else.
+
+## Generating target specifications:
+
+See [description in rust docs](https://doc.rust-lang.org/rustc/targets/custom.html).
+
+To generate a target specification json template, run
+
+```
+rustc +nightly -Z unstable-options --target=<your target name> --print target-spec-json
+```
+
+### To do
+
+"panic-strategy": "abort" is ok for baremetal targets, but not for -metta, right? Will rework for userspace targets when we have unwinding.
diff --git a/targets/aarch64-vesper-metta.json b/targets/aarch64-vesper-metta.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..363679e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/targets/aarch64-vesper-metta.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "llvm-target": "aarch64-unknown-none",
+  "data-layout": "e-m:e-i8:8:32-i16:16:32-i64:64-i128:128-n32:64-S128",
+  "arch": "aarch64",
+  "os": "vesper",
+  "vendor": "metta",
+  "env": "",
+  "executables": true,
+  "panic-strategy": "abort",
+  "linker-flavor": "ld.lld",
+  "linker": "rust-lld",
+  "pre-link-args": {
+    "ld.lld": [
+      "--script=linker/aarch64.ld",
+      "--print-gc-sections"
+    ]
+  },
+  "disable-redzone": true,
+  "target-endian": "little",
+  "target-c-int-width": "32",
+  "target-pointer-width": "64"
+}
diff --git a/targets/bcm2710-rpi-3-b-plus.dtb b/targets/bcm2710-rpi-3-b-plus.dtb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdc7e43
Binary files /dev/null and b/targets/bcm2710-rpi-3-b-plus.dtb differ